Adjustable shower head



June 12,v 1951 H, HARVEY 2,556,537

ADJUSTABLE SHOWER HEAD Filed oct. 2o, 1947 m Kamer Patented 'June 12, 1951 ADJUSTABLE SHOWER HEAD Herbert Harvey, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Leo M. Harvey, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application October 20, 1947, Serial No. 780,817

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an adjustable shower head and it is a general object of the invention to provide a simple, effective, improved head or nozzle construction, particularly useful in showers or the like.

In shower bath installations it is usually desirable to provide an adjustable shower or spray head. Such devices have been of various designs.

and constructions and are generally characterized by rather bulky, expensive and inconvenient structures subject to becoming clogged and stuck so that they cannot be adjusted.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an eiTective, fully adjustable shower head involving few simple inexpensive parts. The construction of the present invention involves only one part requiring operation or movement to effect full adjustment and this part is f very simple form and construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction of the general character referred to in which the adjusting element is so located that it can be engaged and operated without intersecting thel path of the spray issuing from the head, all with the result that adjustment can be made while the true action of the head is observed and without causing undesirable splatter-- ing of water.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a showerhead of the general character referred to wherein the adjusting member is of sturdy form and construction and is such that it can be imly gripped for operation. The operating or adjusting member oi my construction presents a large surface that can be conveniently gripped giving the operator effective purchase so that adjustment can be made with a minimum of effort.

A further object of my invention is to provide a head of the general character referred to in which the few parts involved are so organized and related that they can be assembled easily and quickly and are held against separation when the structure is installed for operation.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of a typical preferred form and application of the invention, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the head provided by the present invention showing it in one position or setting. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, being a view taken as indicated by line 2-2 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3

- Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken as indicated by line 5 5 on Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken as indicated by line 6 6 on Fig. 4.

The structure provided by my present invention involves, generally, a body A, a sleeve B and a mounting means C for the body.

The body A is an elongate member with a central bore I0 entering it from the upper end and terminating short of the lower end, leaving the lower end of the body closed by a bottom II. An annular recess I2 is provided in the exterior of the body forming an annular chamber spaced somewhat from the lower end of the head, leaving a projecting part in the form of a radially projecting flange I3. The flange I3 has a round peripheral surface I d concentric with the longitudinal axis of the body and in the case illustrated it is formed to have a at'upper end I5. The lower end I8 of the ange portion I3 is shown pitched to extend somewhat upward and outward. A plurality of radial ports il connect the bore I0 with the recess I2, the ports I'I being of such size and number that the annular chamber established by the recess I2 is, in eiect, a part of the central opening or cavity in the body A established by the bore I0.

A thread 2!) is formed on the exterior of the body above the recess. In accordance with my invention the thread 20 extends from a point near the recess I2 to the upper end of the body A, but is interrupted intermediate its ends with a somewhat reduced or smooth portion 2I dividing the thread into upper and lower sections. `A packing recess 22, is provided in the exterior of the body between the lower end of the thread 20 and the recess I2.

In accordance with my invention a plurality of longitudinal channels 39 and 3| are formed or provided in the peripheral portion of the ange I3 so that they extend downwardly and outwardly in the flange from the recess I2 or from the upper end I5 of the ange to the lower end portion of the ange where they terminate at or die into the peripheral surface I4 of the ange. In accordance with my invention the channels 3S and 3l are oircumferentially spaced and may be uniformly spaced as shown in the drawings and the several channels may be of uniform width. I prefer, however, that the channels 30 be inclined at a greater angle than channels 3l so that their bottoms 30a are pitched greater than the bottoms (ila of the channels 3| or extend deeper into the flange than do the bottoms 3 la. In the preferred arrangement the channels 30 and 3| are in equal number and are arranged alternately as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. It is desirable in practice to form the channels 3D and 3| so that their lower ends all terminate in a common plane or the same distance above the bottom end I6 of the flange I3. In the particular case illustrated the channels are formed so that they have flat parallel sides. However, it will be understood that by changing the shape or cross sectional configuration of the channels varying jet actions may be obtained.

The sleeve B of the construction is a simple tubular part with its upper end portion provided with an internal thread di) and with a depending middle portion el that extends down over the packing recess 22 to the recess l2 and with a lower lip portion 42 depending from the lower end of the middle portion 4|. The threads fifi of the upper portion of the sleeve are carried on the lower threaded section of the thread on body A. The middle portion il or the sleeve has a smooth or turned inner surface 44 providing a smooth surface to be engaged by a packing ring 45 carried in the recess 22. The middle portion il depends below the packing ring to overlie a portion, atleast, of the recess l2.

The lip portion l2 of the sleeve is, in eiect, a continuation of or a depending part on the lower end of the sleeve portion 4| and it has a smooth turned interior 4t slidably iitting over the peripheral surface lil of the flange I3. The extent to which the lip 42 extends over or overlies the fiange i I3 varies depending upon the position of the sleeve B on the body A, which adjustment can be readily varied by rotating the sleeve to move it either up or down on the body, as desired. The lip l2 serves to more or less choke or throttle the flow through the channels 3!! and 3| and it will be apparent that when the lip is in a position such as is shown in Figs. l and 2, the channels are uncovered so that substantial flow occurs therethrough, whereas when the lip is in a lowered position such as is shown in Fig. 3, the channels are almost covered, with the result that only fine streams can issue therefrom.

It is important to note that the exterior of the sleeve B is of considerable extent, being of substantial diameter and of considerable extent lengthwise of the structure, so that it provides a part that can be readily and conveniently gripped by the operator. In practice the exterior of the sleeve may be provided with any suitable means t prevent slippage of the hand on the sleeve. For example, as shown in the drawings, it may be provided with one or more sections 5@ knurled or otherwise nished to facilitate a sure grip.

In accordance with the preferred form of my invention I provide a stop means to limit downward movement of the sleeve on the body so that the sleeve cannot be separated or detached from the body by excessive operation of the sleeve. In the ca'se illustrated a downwardly facing stop shoulder 5| is provided in the sleeve at the point where the middle portion 5| of the sleeve joins the lip 42. The desired shoulder can be conveniently established by making the opening 45 in the lip slightly larger in diameter than the opening 415i in the middle portion 42. When the sleeve has been screwed down as far as desired the stop shoulder 6| engages the upper end I5 of ange i3, thus positively stopping further downward movement of the sleeve or separation of the sleeve from the body. When this construction is employed the parts are arranged and proportioned so that the sleeve B is applied to the body A so that it assumes the desired position as shown in the drawings by threading the sleeve onto the body from the upper end of the body prior to the means C being assembled with the body.

The mounting means C' is preferably a universal joint construction allowing for positioning of the body A at various angles relative to a supply pipe P, or the like. I have shown a simple ball and socket type of mounting means involving, generally, a coupling member lwith a coupling part t2 internally threaded at E3 to receive the pipe P. A projection 54 on the lower end of the coupling member B2 is in the form of a ball or at least has a spherical outer surface while a central ilow passage extends through it so that water from pipe P is supplied into body A. The upper end portion 'l0 of the body A is formed with a socket opening 'H to receive the ball projection Eid and a packing ring 61 is provided in the socket l! to make sealing engagement with the ball. A retainer or collar I3 is threaded on the body portion 10 or on the upper section of the thread provided on the exterior of the body. The collar has an upper inwardly projecting lip or ange portion 'M that is smaller in diameter than the ball projection Ell and which engages the ball projection to hold it in the socket 1|. In the case illustrated I provide a set screw 15 carried by the collar 'I3 to be engaged with the body to set the collar in the desired adjusted position preferably so that there is enough frictional engagement between the body and ball so that the body will only move when deliberately operated.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have provided a head construction for a shower or the like involving few simple easily formed parts. All of the parts of my construction are simple screw machine parts and the assembly of the parts is very simple. To make the structure ready for use the packing ring 45 is arranged on the body and then the sleeve B is threaded onto the body from its upper end until it assumes a position such as is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The ball projection 64 of means C is then arranged in the seat socket whereupon the collar 'i3 is passed over part 64 and threaded onto the upper section of the body thread making the ball projection secure in the socket. When the desired engagement has been established between the ball projection and the socket the set screw l5 is tightened whereupon the structure is ready for application to a pipe P or the like.

In use the channels 3|] and 3| in the flange I3 direct streams of water downward and outward in planes parallel with the longitudinal axis of the structure, some of the streams issuing at a greater angle than others for the reasons hereinabove pointed out. 'Ihe character of the spray obtained may be varied or adjusted at will by moving the sleeve B up or down on body A, and this can be done by reaching the sleeve B without intercepting the stream or spray issuing from the device.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention, I do not Wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear 5 to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A show-er head including, a central elongate body with a bore extending into it from its upper end and terminating short of its lower end, the body having an outwardly projecting longitudinally channel flange at its lower end in communication with the bore, mounting means for the body, a sleeve on the exterior of the body and having a lip portion at its lower end concentric with and overlapping the flange controlling flow therethrough, threads between the sleeve and body at a point above the flange and stop means limiting downward movement of the sleeve on the body including a downwardly facing shoulder in the sleeve between the lip and threads and cooperating with the flange.

2. A shower head including, an elongate body having an annular recess in its exterior spaced from its lower end leaving an end ange with a longitudinally channeled periphery and having two longitudinally spaced exterior threaded portions above the recess and a bore entering its upper end, terminating short of its lower end and connected with the recess by radial ports, mounting means carried by the upper end portion of the body, a sleeve around the body engaged with the lowermost of said threaded portions on the exterior of the body, covering the recess and having an annular depending lip portion overlapping the flange, the mounting means including a fitting Iwith a ball portion engaged REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 705,754' Harris July 29, 1902 835,612 Hartwell Nov. 13, 1906 1,863,548 Block June 14, 1932 2,012,623 Boyd Aug. 27, 1935 2,118,943 Price et al May 31, 1938 2,285,831 Pennypacker June 9, 1942 2,313,994 Grant Mar. 16, 1943 2,343,804 Salemme Mar. 7, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 104,180 Australia June '7, 1938 

